Arenanet Linsey:
Ok so, I personally designed all the food recipes for launch and there are a few principals that I went by and a process I used to do so, some of which has carried forward through all of the development on cooking since launch:
- We do NOT eat the sentient creatures of Tyria.
- No gross food.
- Avoid single use base ingredients as much as possible.
- Avoid made up ingredients.
https://en-forum.guildwars2.com/discussion/comment/1413339/#Comment_1413339